Ethan Berkowitz and Amy Demoski are headed to a runoff for Anchorage mayor on May 5.
Unofficial results show Ethan Berkowitz leading the mayoral race with 37 percent of the vote. But because Berkowitz didn’t take 45 percent, he’ll be in a run off with Amy Demboski, who, with about a quarter of the total votes, was the second place candidate. Berkowitz says he’ll run the next part of the race the same way as the first – hard and fast.
“Our strategy has always been to try to develop practical solutions to the issues we face today and get ready for the opportunities Anchorage faces tomorrow,” Berkowitz said.
Assembly member Demboski beat Andrew Halcro by about three percent. Halcro officially conceded the race just after 11pm on election night. Demboski was competing for a share of conservative votes against both Halcro and Dan Coffey. She says it’s helpful to now have a narrowed field.
“Well now I know who my opponent is directly so there will definitely be compare/contrast opportunities,” Demboski said.
The biggest surprise for election watchers was the low return for Coffey, who has been campaigning since 2013 and outspent every other candidate by a wide margin. Coffey received just 14 percent of the vote.
The school board races were decisive. Incumbent Kathleen Plunkett had twice the number of votes as Derrick Slaughter to retain Seat E. Incumbent Tam Agosti-Gisler beat David Nees for Seat F. And Elisa Snelling overtook Starr Marsett to secure the seat being vacated by Natasha Von Imhof.
All but one of the bond proposals passed. The capital improvements bond for upgrades to the Chester Creek sports complex failed.
The contentious school bond secured 53 percent of the vote. As the legislative statute currently stands, about 60% of the $59 million dollar bond will be reimbursed by the state.
Anne Hillman is the healthy communities editor at Alaska Public Media and a host of Hometown, Alaska. Reach her atahillman@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Annehere.
Zachariah Hughes reports on city & state politics, arts & culture, drugs, and military affairs in Anchorage and South Central Alaska.
@ZachHughesAK About Zachariah
